World number one Roger Federer won his 20th consecutive match over a top-10 opponent, downing Lleyton Hewitt for the fifth time in a row to book a semifinal spot at the ATP Masters Cup.
The 23-year-old Swiss defending champion beat Hewitt 6-3, 6-4 in Houston on Wednesday in a round-robin match delayed and interrupted by rain, levelling his lifetime record against Hewitt at 7-7 in a year where he has tormented the Aussie star.
Federer previously beat Hewitt this year in the Australian Open round of 16, Wimbledon quarterfinals, US Open final and Hamburg semifinals on his way to capturing each of those titles. Federer, 71-6 in 2004, has 10 titles this year.
This was Hewitt’s first loss to Federer this year in which he did not drop at least one set at love.
Federer, in his first event since winning a title last month at Bangkok, has shown no sign of trouble from a left thigh injury suffered in an October 25 practice session in making a 2-0 start at the season-ending hard-court event.
Spain’s Carlos Moya waited through an eight-hour rain delay to defeat Argentina’s Gaston Gaudio 6-3, 6-4 and keep his title hopes alive, although the 1998 French Open champion, 1-1 in Houston, likely must beat Federer to advance.
”I have to forget who I’m playing with, just play my match and enjoy it,” Moya said. ”It’s not often you get to play one of the best players ever.”
Russia’s Marat Safin will face American Andy Roddick to decide a semifinal spot on Thursday, while Britain’s Tim Henman meets Argentina’s Guillermo Coria, the loser being eliminated from the title picture.
Improved forecasts for Thursday and Friday offered hope for staying on schedule despite earlier tornadoes and thunderstorms in the area.
Federer, whose perfect run against top-10 rivals began with an unbeaten run at this event a year ago, swatted a stunning backhand cross-court winner past Hewitt for a break to lead 3-1 and held serve form there to claim the set.
After denying Hewitt on three break-point chances in the first set, Federer broke him to open the second set and the two exchanged holding serves until rain returned with Federer ahead 4-2.
Following a one-hour delay, Hewitt fought off a break point to hold serve and Federer held twice more to win, taking the victory after 75 minutes on an overhead smash.
Moya, who lost his opener to Hewitt, captured his first victory since the second round of the US Open by beating the reigning Roland Garros champion. Moya was out from September 24 until this week with a right shoulder injury.
Fifth-ranked Moya and number 10 Gaudio, who each won a tour-best 31 matches on clay, saw their matched pushed from afternoon into evening by showers that have marred the first three days of the season-ending, eight-man showdown.
”We get used to it. This isn’t the only city where it happens,” Gaudio said. ”I didn’t do a lot, just sat around with my friends.” — Sapa-AFP